Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Secret Blessings

When you’re in the thick of it you don’t see the purpose, plan or point of why things are happening the way they are, but it’s a beautiful thing when you come out on the other side, look back and see how God positioned things together like a perfect puzzle and what’s left is a priceless masterpiece.
I look back now on certain seasons in my life with such gratitude and clarity. I see how God went ahead of me and put everything right where it needed to be and asked me to be still and trust Him.
An example of this came to mind the other night when we were spending some time with our Catalyst Group.
While Averie was growing and developing at UAMS, someone anonymously donated a furnished apartment for me to stay in while living in Little Rock. It was such a blessing and a huge weight off our shoulders. I didn’t have to worry about living out of a suitcase, hotel costs, or any other factors that would cause even more anxiety. I lived in Little Rock Monday through Friday and usually would come home on the weekends. Casey came to visit when he could, but he had to work so we lived apart for close to four months. Now I know for some of you that’s nothing, but to us it was an eternity. Our marriage took a big hit.
My new home was nice. It was a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment. It was very spacious and would allow for guests who came to visit Averie a free place to stay. September came and Averie was doing well and I was settled into my Little Rock routine. Then one day I got a call from Casey and he proceeded to tell me he had broken his foot while on the job. Now this may sound horrible, but if he was going to break his foot I sure am glad he did it at work. Those were medical bills we did NOT need! Not only was his foot broken but he needed surgery to repair it. Are you kidding me?! My life had become a sick joke!
I checked in with Averie’s nurses at the hospital to ensure she was doing well and then made my trip home to Bentonville to be with Casey for his surgery. Everything went well and he was discharged with instructions to not put any weight on his foot whatsoever for a solid week. So that meant he was wheelchair bound and depended solely on me. I see clearly now how God gave me the grace and strength to do what I needed to do. I packed some of Casey’s stuff, loaded him in the car, and took him back to Little Rock with me.
When I first moved into the apartment I noticed it was more spacious than most apartments, but I didn’t think anything of it until I wheeled my temporarily handicapped husband through the door. THIS APARTMENT WAS HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE! Wide doorways, a sink he could roll right up to, a roll in shower, this place had it all and made getting around so much easier for him. I was and still am blown away by God’s provision! Although he was there recovering from an injury, I had my husband with me 24/7 for a solid week. That was a good week full of funny memories, sweet moments and much needed time together. I can still see me pushing him up the steep hill to the hospital entrance. We laughed every time because I had to get a running start to make it. I cherish that week because it came at a time when I needed him. I needed a surge of momentum to get me through. God had gone ahead and laid it all out just for us. I’m thankful for those secret blessings; those moments that may disguise themselves as additional hardships but when you look back they are a gift from above.
Look back on your journey and recognize God’s hand on your life. I know you will be able to pinpoint those secret blessings. He’s positioned and planned our life perfectly, now lets just set back and trust Him. What do ya say?

3 comments:

  1. God is always so good! Enjoy your posts : )

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  2. Love this..going through one of those "what in the world are you doing and why???" scenarios right now. I can't wait to get on the other end and look back at those secret blessings. Thanks for the reminder :)

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